LK150 Tutorial
Introduction
Congratulations! You are now the proud new owner of the finest hobby knitter available. Your knitting possibilities are endless. But if this is your first knitter, you may be feeling a little overwhelmed. Don’t worry. This is quite normal. We all feel nervous when faced with a completely new piece of machinery. Do you remember what it felt like the first time you logged on to a computer? Just take this one step at a time. It does take a bit of practice to learn anything new, so don’t be too hard on yourself if the first efforts need improvements. Remember, “practice makes perfect”. Allow yourself some time, preferably every day, to get to know your new friend. You will soon wonder how you every got along without it!
Choosing a Table.
It is time to unpack the LK 150. Any sturdy table with a straight lip that extends at least 1 1/2″ will work. There is a very nice table, designed especially for knitting machines, available from Silver Reed. Many people like to use student desks, which are usually available in discount stores. The one I have is a flat piece of laminated particle board attached to a metal tubing frame. There are two shelves on one side, very handy for storing extra yarn, books, and tools. The advantage of using either the table or desk is that it is possible to leave the machine set up all the time. If space is limited, you may prefer to put the knitter on your kitchen table. It is so light that moving it is easy.
Be sure the table you have chosen is a comfortable height for working. If it is too high or too low, there will be a great deal of stress on the back and shoulder. We are only now really becoming aware of ergonomically correct working positions, or the lack thereof, and repetitive stress injuries. It is indeed possible to hurt yourself if you knit for extended periods of time with the knitter at the wrong height. Try not to position the machine so high that it is necessary to raise your upper arm, or so low that you have to bend over it. Don’t laugh! I have used this machine clamped to my piano bench while sitting on my couch! It can be done, but definitely is not a good position.
This tutorial was copyrighted and uploaded to the original Clearwater Knits website in 1997. It was updated in 2017.